Hands-on management

Bill and Fran Lambert, co-owners of Mariposa Landscape & Tree Service, in Southern California, put a lot of value on being in the field every day and supervising the crews on every job. They’re a hands-on company and say that it’s something their customers recognize and appreciate. But it’s also the way they prefer to work.

“We like to solve problems together,” says Fran Lambert. “We all team up and figure out what’s going to work best. It’s a synergetic process and I believe it works best to make these decisions as a team. I’m not much for sitting at a desk or computer every day. I like being out in the environment – it’s where I learn.”

Lambert says that many of the jobs her team gets called in for are challenging and require problem solving that she couldn’t do from an office. “Right now I have a project where there’s a very large, old oak tree in the center of a courtyard and it’s dealing with a lot of problems,” she says. “It’s going to take a real concerted effort to preserve this historic tree and that means paying attention to every single detail. That’s something I have to do in the field.”

But Lambert says it’s also something that customers have noticed. Their company has been in North San Diego County for more than 30 years and now has 12 employees. Lambert works side-by-side with her husband. He handles the tree pruning and she specializes in water and tree conservation. “Our customers really like having the owners on the job site,” she says. “We have survived a bad economy and I am certain that our customers seeing us out on the job has been part of that reason. We’ve developed long-term relationships with them and because of that we get a lot of repeat business.”

Of course it’s also something that Lambert loves. “I really wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says. “Being part of the project is what I enjoy doing. I believe that everyone needs to find the thing they love in life – and the thing they’re good at – if they’re going to have a sustainable business. That’s been the case for me with water and tree conservation. It’s my passion.”

This is one of three stories that appeared in Lawn & Landscape's Water Works e-newsletter. To continue reading about Fran Lambert and Mariposa Landscape & Tree Care:

Growing interests: Fran Lambert’s passion for trees set her on a path to become an irrigation expert.

Watering lessons: A successful sustainable landscape involves the right irrigation as well as the right plants.